Improved swing-bridge



Usare@ drames PATENT @erica GUSTAVUS R. WINKLER, OF VVILLIAMSPVORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNR T() BERNHARDT BERNDT AND MARTHA YVINKLER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED SWING-BRIDGE. Y

v Specification forming part of Leters Patent No. 86,1 I7, dated January 19, 1869.

To all whom it may emmer-a.

Be it known that I, GUsTAVUs It. Wnvittnn, of Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usel'nl Improvements in Swing- Bridges; and I do herebydeclare that the l'ol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, making` part of this specilica tion, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, likeletters indicating like parts wherever they'occnr.

To enable others skilled in the ait to construct and use my invention,[ will proceed to describe it.

My invention relates to swing-bridges for crossing canals; and it consists ot' the use of conical friction-rollers in connection with eccentric rails, so arranged that the bridge, when opened, will close automatically.

In the drawings, Figure l isa perspective view. Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical section on the line 9c ac of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view, with the form ot' the conical frictionrollers and the eccentric rails dotted in.

In the construction ot' bridges across canals wherever they cross traveled roads, unless built high enough toallow boats to pass under them, it is necessary to keep a bridge-tender to open the bridge for the passage of the boats and to close it alter the boat has passed.

The object of my invention is to provide a bridge that may be opened by the boat and close automatically. To secure this object I construct a foundation or platform, A, and abutment B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, upon the side or bank ofthe canal. Upon the platform A, I place the rear end of the bridge C, having so constructed the bridge C' that the end resting upon the platform A shall balance its opposite end, which stretches across the canal. In the end of the bridge C, immediately over the platform A, I place a strong iron bolt, D,

of sufficient length to connect the bridge with the platform and allow it to turn upon or with the bolt D, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. On the under side ofthe bridge C and about the bolt D, Iplace the eccentric rails E, curved, as shown by the dotted lines c in Fig. 3; and on the upper side of the platform A, and about the same bolt D, I place corresponding eccentricv rails,

r so that when the bridge C shall be directly across the canal the external lines of the eccentric rails on the under side of the bridge and those on the upper side of the platform shall be in the same vertical planes. On the bolt D, and between the bridge and the platform, I place the wheel F, having three arms, b, equidistant from each other, andieach provided with a conical friction-roller, c, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The eccentric rails E are arranged so as to have their three points nearest to the center'of the bolt D equidistant from said center as well as from one another, and also the three points farthest from the center of the bolt D equidistant from said center as well as from one another. These eccentric rails and the conical rollers I arrange so that when the bridge stands across the canal the three points in the eccentric rails nearest t-he center ofthe bolt D will be in the same vertical plane with the centers ot' the conical rollers c. 0n each side of the rear end of bridge C, and in the same horizontal plane, or nearly so, with the wheel F, and equidistant from it, I place the pulleys or wheels G G', provided with the leversd d,of sufticientlength to reach nearly across the canal. Around the wheels G G', I place the lever chain or rope e, as shown in Fig. 3, attaching it to them, as well as to a pulley on the under side of the bridge C, and in such a way that when they turn the bridge will be. turned at the same time.

In operating my bridge when placed in position as thus described, it will be seen that as the boat passes along the canal it will strike against one or the other of leversd d', depending upon the direction it may be moving, and press the lever forward. As thelever is pressed forward it turns the wheels Gr G', which in turn swing the bridge. Then either of the levers d or d is moved nearly onefourth of a circle in the direction of the red arrow the levers, conical rollers, and bridge will take the position shown bythe red linesin Fig. 3. As

the bxidge turns the conical friction-rollers move between the eccentric rails from the points in their line nearest to the center of the bolt D to the points in their line farthest from the same center, and the line of contact of the eccentric rails on the conical rollers will be spiral, and from the smaller to the larger ends of tbe rollers. Willen the bridge is t-bus turned by the movement ofthe levers by the passing boat it will be elevated a little7 and when the.

boat has passed and the lever is released it will swing back by its own gravity automatically to its original position. three rollers, because their centers will alivays bein the same plane and the bridge be the more certain to return to and keep its original position.

When heavy bridges are used I fasten below the hind end of the bridge a spring-beam with the spring end toward its center,and to it fasten the lever chains or ropes. By this arrangement, when the boat strikes the levers the spring-beam will give and the bridge be opened gradually. Without it tbe momentum of the I prefer to useeusTAvUs WiNKLER. Y

Vitnesses:

GoTTLIEB HEiM, BERNE. BERNDT. 

